ch 7 Flashcards
(36 cards)
define encoding
getting info into memory (forming a memory code)
define storage
maintaining info in memory (maintaining encoded info in memory over time)
define retrieval
getting info out of memory (recovering info from memory stores)
How does the case of K. C. suggest that the distinction between semantic memory and episodic memory may not simply result in useful categories—based on what kind of information is remembered—but may also have different underlying neural instantiations.
Both types of memory contain factual info - but episodic memory contains PERSONAL facts and semantic memory contains GENERAL facts - named by Endel Tulving . he had a patient named KC - KC had brain damage from a motorcycle accident , after the accident KC”s semantic memory for facts was unimpaired , you couldn’t distinguish him from a non injured person, he was impaired in his episodic memory tho, he can’t recall anything that has ever happened to him. He depends on a digital personal assistant to remind him to eat, without the device he would get hungry but woudln’t remember to eat,–his case contributed to the distinction between the types of memory and distinction between implicit and explicit memory
Explain why implicit memory is so fascinating, and contrast this with explicit memory. How is conscious awareness involved? What evidence is there for implicit memories?
Implicit memory: is apparent when retention is exhibited on a task that does not require intentional remembering
Explicit memory: which involves intentional recollection of previous experiences
They differ in the types of knowledge stored ,mostly perceptual and motor skills i implicit and facts and events in explicit.
And there are different storage sites in hte brain- cerebellum for implicit memory and the hippocampus and temporal lobe for explicit
There are different recall strategies used for accessing or using the info - they are conscious and deliberate for explicit memory but unconscious or unintentional for implicit memories
Contrast declarative memory and procedural memory. Which seems to be less affected by amnesia, and which requires more effort and attention?
Declarative memory system handles factual info (words, definitions, names, dates, faces, events, concepts, ideas)
Non Declarative or procedural memory systems houses memory for actions, skills, operations and conditioned responses . it contains procedural memories of how to execute such actions as riding a bike, typing and tying one’s shoes
Declarative memory is more vulnerable to forgetting.. Book says sometimes if people overthink nondeclarative memory stuff it becomes harder
For amnesiacs- in many cases declarative memory is severely impaired while procedural memory is left largely intact
Contrast semantic memory and episodic memory. What is autobiographical memory? Which is the one we rely on for much of what we know about the world?
Episodic memory system is made up of chronological or temporally dated recollections of personal experiences
It’s a record of things you’ve done, seen, heard andit serves to associate the stimuli you have experienced with the personal context in which you were exposed ot them….
Semantic memory - contains general knowledge that is not tied to the time when the info was learned. Contains info like christmas is dec 25, dogs have four legs, saskatoon is in SK- info like this is usually stored undated,
Episodic memory is like an autobiography while semantic memory is like the encyclopedia
What kind of memory is called on when we need to remember to do something in the future? Why is this called “remembering to remember”?
Perspective memory refers to remembering to perform actions in the future - like remembering to walk the dog, to call someone , to grab tix for a concert, etc- it’s about remembering to REmember something you intend to remember to do in the future
What kind of memory is involved when recalling past events or things that we know?
In contrast, there is retrospective memory - which involves remembering events from the past or previously learned information
Why can prospective memory be difficult? Why is it easy to forget to do a planned action? Give some examples of things that you do to help you to remember to do something in the future.
Interruptions and distractions - make it easy to forget to remember to remember - so like today I wanted toreember to walk to Indigo to buy the samantha irby book but then I totally forgot and remembered when I was already at hte library and starting to study :(
Comment: There are several terms in this unit that use the prefixes “retro” and “pro,” as well as “antero.” “Retro” is used to refer to the past, while “pro” and “antero” are used to signal the future.
Retrospective memory versus prospective memory
Retrograde amnesia versus anterograde amnesia
Retroactive and proactive interference
sensory memory
can hold large amt of info just long enough (fraction of a sec)
Short term memory
limited capacity and unless aided by rehearsal, its storage duration is brief
Long term memory
can store apparently unlimited amount of info for indeterminate periods
Why does the textbook refer to active encoding, and how does this relate to selective attention?
Not remembering results in not making a memory code for something (like hearing someone’s name)
Active encoding is crucial process in memory, attention helps encoding and enriches the encoding process
Attention involves focusing awareness on a narrowed range of stimuli or events. So Selective attention is critical to everyday functioning - if you divide your attention to everything equally life would be pure chaos
When we use selective attention to filter- this can help facilitate memory and coding memories (?)
Why is “paying attention” not quite the same as selective attention?
Comment: Paying attention is often thought about in a rather simple way, such as that expressed by “Were the students paying attention?” Selective attention is specifically about what the learner was paying attention to, not merely an indication that the students were looking at the teacher and were awake. Often students who didn’t learn things well were paying a great deal of attention, but did not selectively attend to the right things. Some research has demonstrated that readers often cannot select the main ideas in the text they are reading (while the text is available to them, not from memory). In such cases, they are paying attention insofar as they are trying to understand the text, but probably not paying attention to the most important information being presented—that is, they don’t know how to identify the main ideas. Similarly, when you have forgotten a person’s name soon after hearing it, it is not because you were oblivious to the person being introduced to you. But you were probably trying to attend to many other things at that moment, and so failed to encode the name effectively. As you will see, such conscious thoughts are only briefly stored in working memory, which has a very limited capacity.
Describe the cocktail-party phenomenon and explain its significance with respect to when incoming information is (sometimes) processed for meaning and then attended to or ignored.
The idea is that a young person is ata crowed party where many conversations are taking place. The person is paying attention to her conversation with a friend and filtering out the other conversations. However if someone in another convo mention her name, she may notice it, even tho she has been ignoring that convo… in experiments of this, about 35 percent of people report hearing their own name, attention involves late selection based on the MEANING of input
Is multi-tasking advised when performing complex or dangerous tasks? Why not?
No - divided attention leads to poor recall and focus (?) - divided attention has impact on memory recall
What does the term levels of processing mean with respect to encoding information?
According to some theorists- diff in how people attend to info are the main factors influencing how much they remember - they propose incoming info can be processed at different levels,
Describe the three levels of information processing proposed by Craik and Lockhart (1972).
They maintain that in dealing with verbal info, ppl engage in 3 progressively deeper levels of processing: structural, phonemic and semantic encoding
Structural encoding -is relatively shallow processing htat emphasizeds the physical structure of hte stimulus.
Phonemic coding -involves naming or saying (perhaps silently) the words
Semantic encoding emphasizes the meaning of verbal input, it involves thinking about the objects and actions the words represent
Levels of processing theory proposes that deeper levels of processing result in longer lasting memory codes- semantic processing is the most meaningful because of the MEANING lol. What is significant in the levels of processing is that some ways of encoding information are very superficial and rely on surface features (shallow processing), while others are based on the meaning of the information, the semantic relationships (deeper processing).
How do elaboration (elaborative encoding), visual imagery, and seeking to understand new information in personally relevant ways (self-referent encoding) enrich encoding?
Elaboration is linking a stimulus to other info at the time of encoding - for e you read that phobias are often caused by classical conditioning, and you apply this idea to you r own fear of spiders . in doing so, you are engaging in elaboration. Hte additional associations created by elaboration usually help people to remember info
Visual imagery- the creation of visual images to represent the words to be remembered- can also be used to enrich encoding
Dual-coding theory holds that memory is enhanced by forming semantic and visualc odes, since either can lead to recall
Self- referent encoding involves deciding how or whether info is personally relevant
What are mnemonic devices used for?
Mnemonic devices are methods used to increase the recall of info.
a. Describe the “verbal” mnemonic strategies of acrostics and acronyms.
Are phrases or poems which the first letter of each word or line fucntions as a cue to help you recall info to be remembered …like every good boy deservues Fudge
b. Describe the visual-imagery mnemonics of the link method and the method of loci.
The link method involves forming a mental image of items to be remembered in aw ay that links them together. For instance - if you need to recall some items to get from the drugstore, like a magazine, shaving cream, film, pens, so you imagine a public figure on the magazine cover shaving with a pen while being photographed , there is some evidence that the more bizarre you make your image the more likely to be helpful in remembering
Method of loci- involves taking an imaginary walk along a familiar path where images of items to be remembered are associated with certain locations.
what is the testing effect (also called the retrieval practice ef ect)?
Basically testing your knowledge can check your mastery, and enhance retention
Contrast massed practice and distributed practice. Which results in better learning?
Retention tends to be better after distributed practce versus massed practice - like cramming 9 hours for a test is worse then 3 hour chunks distributed over time
Strategies that enrich coding through verbal mnemonics, including the
Acrostic Strategy: Phrases are devised in which the first letter of each word is used as a cue to help recall information.
Acronym Strategy: A word is formed out of the first letter of a series of words.
Narrative Strategy: A story is created with the words in the appropriate order.
Rhyme Strategy: Rhyming helps a concept to be remembered.
